updated 03:32 pm EDT, Tue September 10, 2013

Leaves North America for first time

As anticipated, Apple has brought AppleCare+ plans to Europe for the first time. Initially, however, the option is only being sold in the UK, France, and Italy. In the UK, the fee to replace an accidentally-damaged iPad under the two-year plan is £39; replacing an iPhone is £55. Defective units should be swapped out at no extra cost.

AppleCare+ improves on Apple's default warranties with better phone support and the aforementioned accident coverage, although the reduced replacement fees only apply to two incidents. In the past, Apple has run into trouble in Europe for the way it marketed AppleCare plans. While European law mandates at least two years of warranty coverage, the company was brought to task by regulators for insisting people pay for AppleCare to get more than one year. Language on the UK AppleCare+ page notes that buyers there have up to six years to get a free repair or replacement if a device doesn't "conform with the contract of sale."